asi es la vida

hola...

So, guess what. No classes today. I´m in Cayambe right now to use the internet and eat some bischochos!!! Good news, I got an email offering me the AmeriCorps Vista summer position!!!! I´m really excited, I think it will be a great opportunity!! For those of you who don´t know what I´m talking about, I applied for a summer position with AmeriCorps and the Minnesota Literacy Council. The two organizations work together on a program called Summer Reads, which is an effort to work with kids who are behind in school and who don´t have strong reading skills. I´ll be working in either a Minneapolis or St. Paul school from June 12-August 8. The mornings are spent working with kids on reading skills, etc., and the afternoons are spent at local organizations like the Boys and Girls Club doing fun stuff! I´m hoping to work with Latino/Hispanic kids (I requested that). I had a phone interview right before I left for Tocachi and was a little worried that being in Ecuador/not being able to interview in person would hurt my chances of getting the position, so I´m relieved to know that I will be employed when I get back to the States! Plus, an additional bonus is that I´ll have 2 weeks off before I have to start!


I´m getting used to life in Tocachi, although I was initially decieved by the weather as it is now VERY cold!! There isn´t heat in the house, so cold outside means cold inside. Yesterday I had 3 long sleeved shirts on and a blanket wrapped around me all night. Granted, it´s not snow and cold like back home, but it´s still very chilly.

On Sunday I came up with a plan to create a new English cirriculum for the school so that when I leave Tocachi the "project", or English program at the school, is sustained. There currently is an English teacher, who started this year, but his knowledge is limited. On Monday I was observing different grade levels all day, so I didn´t present the idea until Tuesday. I was with the English teacher all day in his classes, and talked to him about creating a program or materials for him to use in the coming years. We also planned to work together after school on his English, so that he has more knowledge to pass on to the kids.

On Wednesday morning, when I went downstairs for breakfast I found out that the English teacher´s wife was killed in a car accident that morning. It´s incredibly sad, she was 28 and on her way to work in the flower fields. Her brother was driving the car, and it was just a one car accident. Since this is such a small community, everyone is affected. On Wednesday all of the teachers went to the hospital in Cayambe, so I was teaching the 6th and 7th graders all day. The funeral is tomorrow, and I´m sure I will be going with my host family along with the rest of the community. I´m not quite sure what is going to happen at the school- my host mom thinks he will be back on Monday as he has a contract to finish out, but I really have no idea.

On another note, Hannah Barnes is beautiful and I´m so excited that she´s healthy and that the delivery went well. Congratulations Jaime and Christi!!!

I miss you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lots of love :)